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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTION SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Volume 5 Number 2 2015
Pandit, D., Yadav, S. M. and Vallabhbhai, S. (2015). Factors affecting efficient construction project design development: A perspective from India. International Journal of Construction Supply Chain Management Vol. 5, No. 2 (pp. 34-50). DOI: 10.14424/ijcscm502015-52-67
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FACTORS AFFECTING EFFICIENT CONSTRUCTION
PROJECT DESIGN DEVELOPMENT: A PERSPECTIVE
FROM INDIA
Devanshu Pandit, CEPT University, India
Sanjay M. Yadav, National Institute of Technology, India
Sardar Vallabhbhai, National Institute of Technology, India
ABSTRACT
Internationally projects exhibit time and cost overrun. It is observed that problems during
design development contribute significantly to delays. In India, projects undertaken by
government were largely planned and designed by departmental planners and engineers.
However, after globalization, projects have increased in number resulting in design
outsourcing, but with attendant challenges. The paper is aimed at identifying and analysing
factors in the design development phase that can have impact on project success. 30 factors
related to design development were identified through two separate brainstorming sessions. A
questionnaire was then administered to determine importance ranking of these factors.
Relative importance index (RII) was used to prioritise these factors. Top ten factors in design
development identified using RII include structural design parameters, soil investigations,
design quality control, topographic survey, and architectural design parameters. The results
can help firms improve their design development practices by prioritising activities that could
have more impact on project performance.
KEYWORDS: Design development, Design management, Project success.
INTRODUCTION
Design plays an important role in construction projects. Performance of design process
influences the performance of activities in subsequent phases and overall project performance.
Quality of designs has direct impact on project success (Couto, 2012). Project failure occurs
when technical issues are overlooked by management during design process (Williams &
Johnson, 2014). However, not enough emphasis is laid on design management processes
(Formoso et al., 1998; Takim et al., 2003).
The status report of the government of India shows that, out of 951 government projects, 309
projects reported cost overruns of about 55%. In terms of time overrun, 474 of the total projects
investigated experienced delays ranging from 2 to 192 months (MOSPI, 2009). The reasons
given for time and cost overrun include design related factors such as: delay in release and
finalisation of drawings, change in scope, geological surprises, and underestimation of original
costs amongst others.
Josephson and Hammerlund (1996) have shown that delays, cost overrun and quality problems
in construction projects are attributable to poor design management practices. Designs in
government projects in India are carried out in-house, but globalisation has triggered heavy
investment in infrastructure that resulted in shortage of engineers in many government
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTION SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Volume 5 Number 2 2015
Pandit, D., Yadav, S. M. and Vallabhbhai, S. (2015). Factors affecting efficient construction project design development: A perspective from India. International Journal of Construction Supply Chain Management Vol. 5, No. 2 (pp. 34-50). DOI: 10.14424/ijcscm502015-52-67
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departments. A World Bank study had identified that insufficient supply of skilled personnel
was a major barrier to the economic growth of India (Blom & Saeki, 2011). Shortage of in-
house engineers meant design outsourcing in government projects and ultimately a significant
growth of small consultancy organisations. There is anecdotal evidence that suggests that
works carried out by relatively inexperienced consultants have raised concerns about design
quality exhibited by project performance failures.
Ali et al. (2012) suggests that worldwide, construction projects experience schedule, cost, and
quality deviations from their original plan. While there are several reasons for these deviations,
one of the significant reason is the inadequate attention paid to design development practices.
Sweis’s (2013) study of factors affecting time overrun in public construction projects in Jordan
found poor qualification of consultants, engineers and staff assigned to project to be the top
weighted factor. Furthermore, poor design brief, poor understanding of owner and stakeholder
requirements, inadequate site investigations, and problems with the use of correct design
parameters are some of the contributory factors to multiple revisions and rework. Designers
need to have a comprehensive list of these factors that could impact on project results, and
therefore prioritise their efforts in design management.
This paper aims at identifying factors in design development that may have significant
influence on project results. Critical factors in the design development phase are identified
through brainstorming sessions with owners/consultants. Thereafter importance ranking is
undertaken using information from industry experts. The results are validated using statistical
tests.
LITERATURE REVIEW
The literature review first explores design as a critical process linked to project performance.
Subsequently processes and factors in design development and their importance in front-end
planning were studied. The review further explores design process success indicators and their
applicability.
Koskela et al. (1998) had defined transformation, flow, and value generation concepts of
design. Hence design transforms clients’ requirement into final products. Design involves the
flow of information and generates value for clients by fulfilling their requirements. To meet
these requirements requires effective front-end planning because of its large impact on project
performance (Hamilton & Gibson, 1996; Griffith et al., 1999; Cho & Gibson, 2001; Johansen
& Wilson, 2006; Weerasinghe et al., 2007; Wang et al., 2009; Wang & Gibson, 2010). Design
development is a major sub-process of front end planning. Williamson and Johnson (2014)
suggested that design failure can be due to unprecedented technical causes or known causes
overlooked in the design process. Williamson and Johnson further emphasise the need to
establish standards for professional practice in design management.
Design deficiencies result in rework. Rework occurs frequently in construction projects and
degrades those projects (Li & Taylor, 2014). Design rework has ripple effect on project
development performance. Li and Taylor suggested strategies to improve design quality
assurance to reduce the impact of design rework. In a survey of 139 projects, Lopez and Love
(2012) estimated direct and indirect design error costs at 6.85% and 7.36% of project cost
respectively. Errors and omissions in designs lead to claims and conflict in projects (Couto,
2012). Design quality control and assurance, effective communication, and post-design
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTION SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Volume 5 Number 2 2015
Pandit, D., Yadav, S. M. and Vallabhbhai, S. (2015). Factors affecting efficient construction project design development: A perspective from India. International Journal of Construction Supply Chain Management Vol. 5, No. 2 (pp. 34-50). DOI: 10.14424/ijcscm502015-52-67
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inspection are management techniques that lead project to engineering success (Williams &
Johnson, 2014). Rekola et al. (2012) emphasized the role of design management in sustainable
buildings and observed that quality of designs, design management, and product are related,
but to determine their exact relationship is very challenging.
Time and cost overrun in projects are linked to design processes. Mahamid and Bruland (2011)
attributes cost-overrun of highway projects to insufficient time for estimates, incomplete
drawings, frequent design changes, and inadequate specifications. Out of total 51 factors
identified in Mahamid and Bruland’s (2011) study, the top five factors contributing to cost
overrun include two design related factors namely: experience of designers and incomplete
drawings. Kpamma and Adjei-Kumi (2011) also observed that waste generated during the
building design process is hidden and difficult to manage by consultants in Ghana, yet it has
significant impact on project costs and schedules. Furthermore Durdyev et al. (2010) study
identified design management factors: inadequate site investigations and design changes, as
causing cost overrun in building projects. It is apparent that better design practices could
positively influence project results.
Factors Affecting Design Management
A design development process starts with brief from project owners. Othman et al. (2005)
advocate the need for better brief development for clients’ satisfaction and project success. Yu
et al. (2010) observe that lack of comprehensive brief from the clients create conflicts and
disputes during project implementation. Therefore a design development process that lack
owners’ inputs is prone to multiple revisions and rework. Same is true for owners’ feedback
and review. Williamson et al. (2010) study of building maintenance issues, linked them to
building design issues.
Design engineers play an important role in the design process. George et al. (2012) observe
that while design engineers have training and expertise to deal with technical aspects of project
design, their role in front-end planning need to be strengthened. George et al further observe
that the role of design engineers in design coordination, leadership, and strategic direction are
often not well defined. While it may not be feasible for all design firms to appoint design
coordinators and design managers, equipping design engineers with necessary tools to improve
the design development process is very much achievable. Iyer and Jha (2005) emphasise
effective project coordination amongst clients, consultants, and contractors for project success.
Design review impacts project quality. Bubshait and Ahmad (1996) note that design
deficiencies result in large scale contract modifications. Design reviews reduce errors,
omissions, and ambiguities. The reviews could be within organisations - in the form individual
reviews - or as a team/squad check. Reviews could often be conducted by other consultants
working on a project. For example where architectural and structural drawings are checked by
services consultant for any conflicts. Thus design review could be in the form of third party
review or proof checking.
Olander and Landin (2005) studied the influence of stakeholders on construction project
implementation and concluded that negative influence by stakeholders can result in
controversies concerning designs and implementation. Yu et al. (2010) through their study on
design build projects in Hong Kong reveal that existing systems for project development have
limitations. Lack of impartial agents and improper timing for raising requirements by key
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTION SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Volume 5 Number 2 2015
Pandit, D., Yadav, S. M. and Vallabhbhai, S. (2015). Factors affecting efficient construction project design development: A perspective from India. International Journal of Construction Supply Chain Management Vol. 5, No. 2 (pp. 34-50). DOI: 10.14424/ijcscm502015-52-67
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stakeholders are problems with existing systems. Whelton et al. (2007) consider design as a
collaborative decision making process. Whelton et al. emphasise the importance of
understanding the design process interface and group decision making processes.
Hammond et al. (2000) argue that planning and management of building design often carried
out using traditional planning methods such as the Critical Path Method (CPM), do not really
recognize the complexities of design processes. Similarly Ballard et al. (1998) consider that
traditional project management techniques are not effective. Although the use of software is
increasing for design aspects, but the design process, its coordination and monitoring is still
being carried out in a traditional manner. Enterprise software are expensive for many small size
design companies that employ 2-10 design engineers. It is uneconomical for these design
companies to invest in management software and tools as they would for design and computer
aided drafting software.
Performance Measurement Tools
The design quality indicator (DQI) launched in 2002 assesses the design quality of new
buildings and the refurbishment of existing buildings (Gann et al., 2003). Whereas housing
quality indicator measures the quality of the finished product. These tools focus more on
building or end product than on design development processes and hence there is need to have
specific measures for the design development process.
The Construction Industry Institute (CII), Austin (USA) undertook a study on project
development and specifically on scope definition as a key to project success. It found that
efforts in the project pre-implementation phase led to improved performance, as observed on
industrial projects particularly in their cost, schedule, and operational characteristics (Cho &
Gibson, 2001). The project development rating index (PDRI) developed by the CII includes
basis for design as scope element which comprises site information, building design
parameters, and equipment. PDRI assesses the probability of project success based on the level
of scope definition at pre-construction stage (Cho & Gibson, 2001). PDRI considers design
parameters, but it is limited to scope definition and the complete design process is not covered
by the index.
Novak (2013) observe that design management is an emerging discipline in the architecture
and construction industry that deals with managing the design process. Design management
discipline subscribes to two schools of thought. The first emphasises the organization of design
firms, while the other aims at developing better understanding of the design process
(Tzortzopoulos & Cooper, 2007). Design and design management are equally important for
project success. While there is sufficient clarity about how to carry out designs, design
management is less explored and has some scope for improvement. Previous research have
emphasized some isolated factors related to design management and their impact on project
results but there is lack of a comprehensive list of factors that makes design development
efficient. Neely (1999) asserted that performance measurement must reflect the context in
which they are applied. The DQI, deals with completed projects. PDRI deals with project
development, but has a limited number of factors pertaining to designs, and some factors are
not relevant to design practices in developing countries. Thus the need for better design process
is evident. Identifying key design factors with priority rankings are of essence. These list of
factors can act as a checklist for the design process. A priority ranking could help design
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTION SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Volume 5 Number 2 2015
Pandit, D., Yadav, S. M. and Vallabhbhai, S. (2015). Factors affecting efficient construction project design development: A perspective from India. International Journal of Construction Supply Chain Management Vol. 5, No. 2 (pp. 34-50). DOI: 10.14424/ijcscm502015-52-67
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managers to prioritise design tasks. This is even more critical for developing countries owing
to the shortage of technical manpower and lack of standardisation in designs.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The methodology for the current study involves the identification of design development
factors in the first step through a brainstorming session. In the next step, identified factors are
grouped into design development categories based on existing literature and the authors’
experience. The third step involved a survey to determine the importance ranking of the
categorized design development factors. In the analysis step, the relative importance index
(RII) of the factors are determined using mean responses. RII is a simple technique that assigns
relative weights to factors. Subsequently criterion related validity test is used to test the
reliability and validity of the results. Further details of the research methodology are provided
in the following subheadings.
Identifying Factors
To identify important factors in design development, the brainstorming technique for
generating ideas from a group of informants was employed by the study. The technique is
selected based on the level of researcher-informant and informant-informant interaction (Day
& Bobeva, 2005). Inter-informant communication was relatively good in the current study,
which makes it suitable for the use of the brainstorming technique.
To identify the factors in design development phase that may influence project performance,
two separate brainstorming sessions were carried out: one with a government organisation and
one with a private developer organisation. The Roads and Buildings (R&B) department of the
government of Gujarat was selected for the study. R&B undertakes planning, designing,
construction and maintenance of government buildings and infrastructure. Work done by the
department can be considered to be representative of government works in India. At their
brainstorming session, 10 engineers (having experience up to 30 years) were involved and they
were able to generate 24 significant factors. The second brainstorming session was conducted
with 12 architects and engineers of a multinational real estate company involved in housing
and hotel projects. A further 11 factors that may influence project performance were identified,
bringing the total to 35 factors.
Factor Grouping
Important factors in design development determined at the brainstorming sessions were
screened. Duplicate factors were removed and similar factors were merged. This resulted in a
final list of 30 factors. While the importance ranking of the factors can be used without any
grouping or classification, it was carried out so that respondents can relate the factors easily by
looking at the groups. Also, statistical analyses was planned to be carried out inter group and
intra group. A factor analysis was also carried out to assign weights and group the factors, but
the factor grouping was not logical hence it was rejected. The next step was to classify these
factors into some logical categories within design development. Seven categories emerged as
indicated in Table 1. The seven categories are briefly summarised in the following subsections.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTION SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Volume 5 Number 2 2015
Pandit, D., Yadav, S. M. and Vallabhbhai, S. (2015). Factors affecting efficient construction project design development: A perspective from India. International Journal of Construction Supply Chain Management Vol. 5, No. 2 (pp. 34-50). DOI: 10.14424/ijcscm502015-52-67
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Table 1: Main categories of factors influencing project performance
S/No. Category
1.10 Investigations/Studies
1.20 Design Parameters
1.30 Design Considerations
1.40 Design Process
1.50 Design Review
1.60 Design Improvisation
1.70 Other Design Concepts
Investigations/Studies
This includes all surveys and investigations related to land and regulations. The factors under
this category include topographic survey, soil investigations, coastal regulation zone (CRZ),
environment, forest, and local byelaws.
Design parameters
Design parameters relate to quantitative and qualitative aspects of projects. Design parameters
influence economy, safety, and service life, and have impact on the environment. This category
includes four factors: architectural, structural, electrical and mechanical design parameters.
Earthquake zoning, soil bearing capacity, and importance of building are some examples of
structural design parameters.
Design considerations
Design considerations should be taken into account at the time of designing a building. These
include design period, maintenance, future extensions, and weather considerations.
Design process
Design process pertains to steps which are to be followed in sequence to attain the final design.
It includes user inputs, preparation of design intent, conceptual design alternatives, design
quality control, and design standardisation.
Design review
Design review can be internal or external. Quality review within designers’ organisations or
through third party proof consultants can highlight errors and omissions in the design, and
deficiencies and deviations from the codes. After review by consultants, client reviews design
functionality and accords design approval.
Design improvisation
Design improvisation is a set of related techniques that aids in invention, testing, and
development of interaction and in the end improves the service level. It generally employs
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTION SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Volume 5 Number 2 2015
Pandit, D., Yadav, S. M. and Vallabhbhai, S. (2015). Factors affecting efficient construction project design development: A perspective from India. International Journal of Construction Supply Chain Management Vol. 5, No. 2 (pp. 34-50). DOI: 10.14424/ijcscm502015-52-67
58
methods used previously in the design context to address the problem areas. It includes inputs
from material suppliers, creativity, and design standardization.
Other design concepts
The remaining factors identified during the brainstorming sessions are put into this category.
To generate better and efficient designs, design concepts such as design wastage and green
concepts need to be considered.
Importance Ranking
The factors identified during the brainstorming sessions have varying degrees of influence on
design development. It would be important for the industry to know which design development
factor has more influence than others. In order to ascertain this, a questionnaire was prepared
listing all the factors identified and categorised as described earlier. Respondents were asked
to rank the factors on a scale of 1 to 5. 1 - Not Applicable; 2 - Moderately important; 3 -
Strongly important; 4 - Very Strong and 5 - Extremely important.
Questionnaire Survey
Initially 116 people were invited to participate in the survey through stratified and convenience
sampling. Participants were selected from prominent government and construction
organizations in India. Project owners and consultants were given higher weightage as they are
closely connected with design development. Eighty-three valid responses were received giving
a response rate of 71.55%. The higher response rate is attributed to the inclusion of respondents
from two organizations with which brainstorming sessions were carried out. Wherever feasible,
a small workshop was convened for five or more respondents, and the questionnaire
administered to them. The questionnaire were sent through email and the responses received
within the stipulated timeframe were used in the data analysis. Respondents ranged from
Project Engineer to Director/President in private organizations and Assistant Engineers to
Superintending Engineers in government organizations. Generally respondents included
planners, design engineers, project managers, construction managers, procurement specialists,
and contractors. It was also ensured that respondents had adequate industry exposure. Total
experience of all respondents was 1843 years. The distribution of the respondents by
qualification, experience, and organisations is represented in Table 2.
DATA ANALYSIS
Data generated were first checked for completeness. Isolated cases of missing data were noted
and corrected by communicating with the respondent. Data were entered into an MS Excel file.
Mean value and descriptive statistics were calculated using Excel functions.
Relative Importance Index (RII)
To determine the relative ranking of the factors, mean values were then transformed to
importance indices based on the formula:
𝑅𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝐼𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝐼𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑥 (𝑅𝐼𝐼) = ∑ 𝑤
𝐴𝑁=
5𝑛5 + 4𝑛4 + 3𝑛3 + 2𝑛2 + 1𝑛1
5𝑁
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTION SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Volume 5 Number 2 2015
Pandit, D., Yadav, S. M. and Vallabhbhai, S. (2015). Factors affecting efficient construction project design development: A perspective from India. International Journal of Construction Supply Chain Management Vol. 5, No. 2 (pp. 34-50). DOI: 10.14424/ijcscm502015-52-67
59
where, w is the weight given to each factor by the respondent, ranging from 1 to 5,
(n1 = number of respondents for very unsatisfied ... n5 = number of respondents for very
satisfied)
A is the highest weight (i.e. 5 in the study) and N is the total number of samples.
The relative importance index ranges from 0 to 1 (Le & Tam, 2007). Weighted Mean, RII, and
the ranking of the most important factors are presented later in Table 5.
Table 2: Questionnaire respondents’ profile
S/No Respondent Type Count Percentage
Respondent Educational Qualification
1 Diploma 1 1.20%
2 Bachelors 42 50.60%
3 Post Graduate 37 44.58%
4 Ph.D. 3 3.61%
Total 83 100%
Respondent Experience Years
1 < 5 Years 11 13.25%
2 6 to 10 Years 12 14.46%
3 11 to 20 Years 16 19.28%
4 More than 20 Years 44 53.01%
Total 83 100%
Respondent Organization Type
1 Owner 7 8.43%
2 Contractor 5 6.02%
3 Consultant 34 40.96%
4 Government 23 27.71%
5 Academics 7 8.43%
6 Public Sector/ Board/ Semi-government 6 7.23%
7 Others 1 1.20%
Total 83 100%
Validation
In testing reliability and validity of the results, the key questions asked are: Are the results
replicable (Golafshani, 2003)? Is the test accurate and does it actually measure what it is
designed to measure (Sartori and Pasini, 2006)? Research conducted with similar respondents
under similar context should generate similar results (Ayodele, 2012). The true score of an
experiment comprises the measured score which has an element of error. It is therefore assumed
that the measuring device which is not reliable cannot possibly be valid. To check the validity
of the results, criterion-related validity testing was carried out.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTION SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Volume 5 Number 2 2015
Pandit, D., Yadav, S. M. and Vallabhbhai, S. (2015). Factors affecting efficient construction project design development: A perspective from India. International Journal of Construction Supply Chain Management Vol. 5, No. 2 (pp. 34-50). DOI: 10.14424/ijcscm502015-52-67
60
Criterion Related Validity
Criterion-related validity evidence can be tested by correlation, regression, and decision theory
or group separation method (Ayodele, 2012). Criterion related validity can measure the
correlation between scores on the new measure with other measures of the same construct or
those with fundamentally similar constructs (Kimberlin & Winterstein, 2008). The correlation
coefficient between one factor and the mean of the factors under that category was computed.
It was found that the correlation coefficients between each item within each group, and the
mean value of the related group were significant at 0.05 level. Furthermore the correlation
coefficient between one factor and the overall mean of all the design factors was calculated.
The results are shown in Table 3.
Split-Half Coefficient Method
The Split-Half coefficient model of reliability analysis was used for reliability testing. This
method splits the items in an instrument into two matched halves in terms of content and those
having similar cumulative degree of difficulty. This is often achieved by assigning all odd
numbered items to one group and all even numbered items into another (Ayodele, 2012). This
method finds the Pearson correlation coefficient between the means of odd and even factors of
each field of the questionnaire. Subsequently Pearson correlation coefficient is corrected by
using the Spearman Brown correlation coefficient. The corrected correlation coefficient
(consistency coefficient) is computed using the following equation:
Consistency coefficient )1(
2
r
r
where, r is the Pearson correlation coefficient. It is the correlation coefficient between one
factor and the mean value of the factors under that category. The correlation coefficient varies
between +1 and -1, where +1 implies a perfect positive relationship (agreement), while -1
results from a perfect negative relation. Spearman’s rank correlation r measures and compares
the association between the rankings of two parties (Assaf & Al-Hejji, 2006). The computed
results were in the range of 0.82 and 1.00 for factors’ groups. This range is considered high,
and ensures the reliability of the questionnaire. This is shown in Table 4
DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
As was previously reviewed, design plays a key role in successful project execution. In India,
public projects experience delays, quality and cost overrun problems. Research suggests that
efforts in the design development phase cost relatively less and can improve project
performance. In this study, two brainstorming sessions and individual discussions generated
30 factors in the design development phase that could impact on project performance. These
30 factors were grouped in into seven subsections. A questionnaire survey followed by ranking
with relative importance index method determined the ranks of each of the 30 factors in the
design development phase. Top ten factors identified by the relative importance index
calculations are listed in Table 5.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTION SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Volume 5 Number 2 2015
Pandit, D., Yadav, S. M. and Vallabhbhai, S. (2015). Factors affecting efficient construction project design development: A perspective from India. International Journal of Construction Supply Chain Management Vol. 5, No. 2 (pp. 34-50). DOI: 10.14424/ijcscm502015-52-67
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Table 3: Criterion related validity results
S/No Factors Pearson
Coefficient
(under category)
Pearson
Coefficient
(all factors)
1.10 Investigations/Studies
1.101 Topographic Survey 0.95 0.86
1.102 Soil Investigations 0.91 0.79
1.103 CRZ, Environment, Forest 0.87 0.94
1.104 Local byelaws/regulations 0.94 0.96
1.20 Design Parameters
1.201 Architectural 0.96 0.93
1.202 Structural 0.69 0.64
1.203 Electrical 0.96 0.97
1.204 Mechanical/Instrumentation 0.95 0.97
1.205 Allied other services 0.79 0.76
1.30 Design Considerations
1.301 Lifespan/design period consideration 0.83 0.89
1.302 Maintenance consideration 0.97 0.98
1.303 Future extension/development 0.86 0.88
1.304 Weather conditions during construction 0.95 0.88
1.305 Weather conditions during operation 0.88 0.78
1.40 Design Process
1.401 User inputs 1.00 0.99
1.402 Preparation of Design Intent / Ideology 0.99 0.97
1.403 Site Analysis from design & context perspective 0.99 0.98
1.404 Conceptual Design Alternates 0.98 0.99
1.50 Design Review
1.501 Design Review - Comments by Corresponding consultants 0.97 0.96
1.502 Multi-disciplinary coordination/Review meetings 0.97 0.93
1.503 Design Quality Control/Squad Checking 0.95 0.93
1.504 Design Functionality Review - Comments by Client/Owner 0.99 0.93
1.505 Constructability and Maintenance related reviews 0.95 0.87
1.506 Value Engineering 0.96 0.99
1.60 Design Improvisation
1.601 Inputs from Material Suppliers 0.99 0.96
1.602 Design Standardization 0.88 0.96
1.603 Creativity 0.91 0.80
1.604 Prototype 0.97 0.96
1.70 Other Design Concepts
1.701 Design Wastage 0.98 0.66
1.702 Green Concepts 0.98 0.74
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTION SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Volume 5 Number 2 2015
Pandit, D., Yadav, S. M. and Vallabhbhai, S. (2015). Factors affecting efficient construction project design development: A perspective from India. International Journal of Construction Supply Chain Management Vol. 5, No. 2 (pp. 34-50). DOI: 10.14424/ijcscm502015-52-67
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Table 4: Testing with Split Half Coefficient Method
S/No Factors Pearson
Coefficient1
Spearman Brown
Correlation
Coefficient
1.10 Investigations/Studies
1.101 Topographic survey 0.95 0.98
1.102 Soil investigations 0.91 0.95
1.103 CRZ, environment, forest 0.87 0.93
1.104 Local byelaws/regulations 0.94 0.97
1.20 Design Parameters
1.201 Architectural 0.96 0.98
1.202 Structural 0.69 0.82
1.203 Electrical 0.96 0.98
1.204 Mechanical/Instrumentation 0.95 0.98
1.205 Allied other services 0.79 0.88
1.30 Design Considerations
1.301 Lifespan/design period consideration 0.83 0.90
1.302 Maintenance consideration 0.97 0.99
1.303 Future extension/development 0.86 0.93
1.304 Weather conditions during construction 0.95 0.98
1.305 Weather conditions during operation 0.88 0.93
1.40 Design Process
1.401 User inputs 1.00 1.00
1.402 Preparation of design intent/ideology 0.99 0.99
1.403 Site analysis from design and context perspective 0.99 0.99
1.404 Conceptual Design Alternates 0.98 0.99
1.50 Design Review
1.501 Design review-comments by corresponding consultants 0.97 0.99
1.502 Multi-disciplinary coordination/review meetings 0.97 0.99
1.503 Design quality control/squad checking 0.95 0.97
1.504 Design functionality review- comments by owner 0.99 1.00
1.505 Constructability and Maintenance related reviews 0.95 0.97
1.506 Value Engineering 0.96 0.98
1.60 Design Improvisation
1.601 Inputs from material suppliers 0.99 1.00
1.602 Design standardization 0.88 0.94
1.603 Creativity 0.91 0.95
1.604 Prototype 0.97 0.99
1.70 Other Design Concepts
1.701 Design wastage 0.98 0.99
1.702 Green concepts 0.98 0.99
1 r value w.r.t mean of factors under category
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTION SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Volume 5 Number 2 2015
Pandit, D., Yadav, S. M. and Vallabhbhai, S. (2015). Factors affecting efficient construction project design development: A perspective from India. International Journal of Construction Supply Chain Management Vol. 5, No. 2 (pp. 34-50). DOI: 10.14424/ijcscm502015-52-67
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Table 5 : Top ten design development factors
S/No Factors Group Weighted
Mean
RII
1 Structural design parameters Design Parameters 4.19 84%
2 Soil investigations Investigations/Studies 3.96 79%
3 Design quality control/squad checking Design Reviews 3.88 78%
4 Topographic survey Investigations/Studies 3.83 77%
5 Architectural design parameters Design Parameters 3.83 77%
6 Preparation of design intent/ideology Design Process 3.80 76%
7 Site analysis from design and context
perspective
Design Process 3.80 76%
8 Multi-disciplinary coordination/review
meetings
Design Review 3.78 76%
9 Local byelaws/regulations Investigations/Studies 3.73 75%
10 Lifespan/design period consideration Design Considerations 3.73 75%
Structural design parameter is ranked highest. However it is worth noting that many
participants had witnessed the aftermath of the devastating 2001 Bhuj (Gujarat) earthquake and
were involved in damage assessment and rehabilitation of thousands of engineered and non-
engineered buildings. There were also cases of building collapse in recent years. This may have
influenced the study participants to put more weight on structural design parameters and
investigations. It also justifies the inclusion of soil investigations. Improper site investigations
are believed to be the reason for most failures as well as change orders during the construction
phase. Inadequate site investigation had been identified by Durdyev et al. (2010) as a main
factor affecting cost overruns in building projects.
While the designs carried out by government design engineers follow a standard review
procedure which results in lesser errors in design, there is no guarantee of this in private
organizations, particularly in medium and small sized projects. Design is a collaborative
decision making process (Whelton et al., 2007). In absence of proper design management,
design reviews are carried out casually. Insufficient design reviews results in revision in
drawings during execution which cause delays. Multi-disciplinary coordination reviews ensure
that designs are well coordinated.
Three architectural factors also appear in the top ten list presented in Table 5. These are:
architectural design parameters, preparation of design intent and ideology, and site analysis.
Issues in preparation of design intent and ideology are linked to clarity in designs. The need
for detailed topographic survey in design is well established. Absence of site analysis results
in scope changes. Architectural design parameters confirm CII findings on PDRI (Cho et al.,
2001). Architectural designs need to consider local byelaws carefully. This is typically a
problem with developing countries. Non-adherence to local byelaws results in work stoppage,
demolition, and rework. It is obvious that, within overall design development, architectural
designs are at forefront and any problem in architectural design development can have
cascading effects on design leading to series of revisions.
Factors grouped under ‘Design Improvisation’ and ‘Other Design Concepts’ such as green
concepts were considered relatively less important. At the brainstorming stage these factors
were identified to be important, but were not by the respondents as reflected by their weights.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTION SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Volume 5 Number 2 2015
Pandit, D., Yadav, S. M. and Vallabhbhai, S. (2015). Factors affecting efficient construction project design development: A perspective from India. International Journal of Construction Supply Chain Management Vol. 5, No. 2 (pp. 34-50). DOI: 10.14424/ijcscm502015-52-67
64
Factors such as prototypes, creativity, and design wastage are perhaps considered as value
added factors rather than essential elements in design development. Processes such as value
engineering and inputs from material suppliers are not formally used by designers in India.
This indicates their priority, not that they are less useful. Some designers opined that the listed
factors can be useful in improving their own design development process. It may be beneficial
for owners and consultants to recognise the importance of these processes and formally include
them in the designs.
Discussions with the owners, contractors, designers, and design managers provided an
understanding that delays and cost overrun in projects can be attributed to deficient design
development. Developing better understanding about the design development process is the
first step towards improvement. The factors identified in the research could assist design
managers to prioritise design tasks so that design process time is shortened. These factors could
also serve as a checklist to designers. Emphasis on review process will result in less number of
revisions, errors, and omissions.
CONCLUSION
Design management is a critical process at project development phase. While designs can be
carried out according to codes and set procedures, the management of design process is not
standardised. In India, outsourcing has resulted in the growth of small consultants who are not
fully aware about the benefits of standardisation. Earlier studies by Gibson and Wang (2001)
identified role of design parameters in front-end planning process and linked them successfully
to the time and cost performance of construction projects. The research identified 30 significant
factors in the design development process that could be used as a checklist to ensure that design
processes are complete and considers important sub-processes such as standardization, value
engineering, and reviews.
Design managers in developing countries can use these 30 factors and their weights to modify
related design development processes. The priority ranking given to the design factors will be
useful to design managers to plan, prioritise, and monitor design activities. These design
managers could improve their inadequate design processes. Where such processes are already
in existence then the emphasis given to that process can be evaluated. Overall check list can be
prepared which can be completed before designs are rolled out for execution. The reason(s) for
not following a particular process may also be documented.
Brainstorming and importance ranking undertaken in the current study involved regional
engineers based in India. The design process in this study makes reference to the construction
industry in India which the research participants are familiar with. In essence the results
obtained from this study investigation are applicable to the Indian subcontinent. Although other
developing countries could benefit from this research, where design development process lacks
standardization. However generalisation of the findings should be approached with caution.
Further research could be undertaken on large infrastructure projects in India and the results
compared with the current findings. For validation of the factor weights found in the current
study, data on efficiency of the design development process could be collected from real
projects. The effects of these factors on real projects in terms of cost, quality, and schedule
performance may also be studied.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTION SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Volume 5 Number 2 2015
Pandit, D., Yadav, S. M. and Vallabhbhai, S. (2015). Factors affecting efficient construction project design development: A perspective from India. International Journal of Construction Supply Chain Management Vol. 5, No. 2 (pp. 34-50). DOI: 10.14424/ijcscm502015-52-67
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